Wednesday, July 23, 2008

LOS ANGELES — Tavis Smiley is all wound up. His voice is rough from too much vocalizing, but the host of public television's "Tavis Smiley" talk show and public radio's "The Tavis Smiley Show" is on an oratorical roll about race, politics, and his fellow African-American, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

"There is no such thing in America as race transcendence, and Obama's going to find that out real soon," says Smiley, leaning into his words. As he sermonizes, he sheds suit jacket, tie and belt in succession, getting comfy in his spacious suite at KCET in Los Angeles after taping two installments of "Tavis Smiley" (Monday-Friday in various time-slots on PBS stations).

Despite the peaceful vibe inside his sanctuary, with its African masks and scented candle, Smiley frowns. "There's no such thing as 'post-racial' in America, because if you push the envelope too far, you're going to hear about it."

Smiley should know. For months he has been the object of an Internet firestorm for his perceived negative comments about Obama on commercial radio's syndicated "The Tom Joyner Morning Show."

Smiley found himself between race and a hard place when he criticized Obama on-air for choosing not to appear on Smiley's annual State of the Black Union cablecast on C-SPAN in February. Smiley's remarks sparked a blaze of invective by African-American bloggers, who questioned Smiley's loyalty, motives and ego.

Rest of article at link above.

We're going to take it point by point.

"There is no such thing in America as race transcendence, and Obama's going to find that out real soon,"

Uh huh.

I didn't know precisely why this bothered me until taritac wrote this:Tavis sounds like a broken record. What in the hell does he mean about Obama finding out about "race transcendence?" Obama is no fool. I am sure he recognizes the racism that has come his way during this campaign, but he sure as hell understands that crying "racism," even when it's true, only shuts white people's ears off.

Tavis is uttering his same nonsense. Obama will find out that there's no ' race transcendence'.

WILL FIND OUT?

Color me clueless, but I would have already bet that Barack Obama already KNOWS about that.

And, he didn't find out through anything that the GOP has done.

No, we stopped the race transcendance train due to the Dogwhistle Racial PoliTRICKS of Camp Clinton.

Because, if they DID happen, and he was a MUTE during this time, then what does that say about his ' Race Man' credentials?

Ah yes....

Uh huh.

GOTCHA, Tavis.

And, you have to love folks trying to do the shorthand version of what happened between Tavis and the TJMS audience.

Black folk have never had a problem with 'constructive criticism' of Obama.

But, Tavis ran into the following:1. It began to be perceived that it went PERSONAL for him and Obama.2. Then, it began to be perceived that it wasn't even personal for TAVIS, but that he was doing it for Camp Clinton. 3. Then, he disrespected the offer to send Michelle Obama to the SOTBU, and LIED about it. And no one remotely believes that if it had been reversed - if BILL Clinton had been offered, HE would have been turned down.4. When Hillpatine gets to the SOTBU, he was MUTE and didn't 'challenge' her on #($*. Nada.5. You wanna talk about someone who was talking down to Black folks...rerun those TJMS commentaries for the last 6 months. He acted like Black folks had no sense.

THAT is why the TJMS audience told Tavis to go somewhere and sit down and take a chill pill.

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"The two parties have combined against us to nullify our power by a ‘gentleman's agreement' of non-recognition, no matter how we vote ... May God write us down as asses if ever again we are found putting our trust in either the Republican or the Democratic Parties." -- W.E.B. DuBois (1922)